Month: January 2013

Uncategorized

Stuff We Don’t Need Right Now

January 12, 2013 by 5 Comments

Let’s be clear about one thing. We are the battle of our lives – a war even – for the hearts and minds of the ordinary American. It is not just enough to get all the gun owners on our side. We need middle America: the soccer mom who is apprehensive about the safety of her kids, the father who wants to protect his family, the gay couple who has one slur and one threat too many, everyone.

So when you have a well-known firearms trainer like James Yeager of Tactical Response say what he did, it doesn’t help. Below is an edited version of Yeager’s original video. If I understand correctly, Yeager took down the original video and substituted a somewhat less inflammatory version.

The controversy over this video and his original comments where he stated he was going to “start killing people” comments have caused the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security to suspend his concealed carry permit.

In the video below from New Channel 5 out of Nashville, TN, you can hear his original comments.

NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather

From the News Channel 5 story:

“I’m not (expletive) putting up with this. I’m not letting my country be ruled by a dictator. I’m not letting anybody take my guns! If it goes one inch further, I’m going to start killing people,” he said in the video.

Yeager’s company, Tactical Response, is headquartered in Sandy, Tennessee and trains civilians in weapons and tactical skills. Yeager’s biography stated that he worked as a police officer for the Sandy Police Department as well as the Benton County Sheriff’s Office before starting his company. His certifications list him as a qualified instructor in dozens of firearms and weapons training classes, including being a Department of Safety Certified Firearms Instructor.

According to a spokesperson for the Tennessee Highway Patrol, however, Yeager is not a currently not a Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security certified instructor, nor is Tactical Response a department certified school.

A later story from the station has the statement from the Department on his carry permit suspension.

“The number one priority for our department is to ensure the public’s
safety. Mr. Yeager’s comments were irresponsible, dangerous, and
deserved our immediate attention. Due to our concern, as well as that of
law enforcement, his handgun permit was suspended immediately. We have
notified Mr. Yeager about the suspension today via e-mail. He will
receive an official notification of his suspension through the mail,”
Commissioner Bill Gibbons said. 

Look, I can understand being mad. None of us like the idea of any new gun control laws much less one’s that may be the result of an Executive Order from President Obama. That said, you don’t spout off on YouTube for the whole damn world to see and especially the gun prohibitionists. It is just plain stupid and doesn’t help the cause of gun rights.

Unfortunately, the mainstream media has the story now. You can be sure that Yeager’s little tirade will be trotted out by the gun prohibitionists again and again.

Gee thanks, James. You are one dumb stupid fucking son of a bitch.

Uncategorized

SAF Says You First

January 11, 2013 by 1 Comment

The Second Amendment Foundation suggested that foes of guns should be the first ones to give up their own guns. That would include the guns of their bodyguards and other security personnel. I know this idea isn’t new but it is good to see a major gun-rights organization adopt this position.

From their release:


BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation today challenged the nation’s leading opponents of gun ownership to “lead by example” and give up their own firearms and armed security before expecting the citizens, for whom they work, to surrender their ability to defend themselves.

“It seems clear from the direction the administration is going that it wants to severely restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners to purchase the firearms of their choice, “said SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb, “and we think they should demonstrate their belief in their own programs by giving up their firearms and security first.

“That would include Joe Biden’s shotguns,” he added, “and the armed security now enjoyed by Senators Chuck Schumer and Dianne Feinstein, and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.

“It would especially apply to President Obama,” he continued, “who just signed legislation giving himself Secret Service protection for life, at the expense of taxpayers he wants to disarm.”

Gottlieb said the same principle should apply to anti-gun celebrities who have bodyguards while supporting legislation that would deprive average citizens from owning firearms for personal protection.

“For example,” he noted, “when I appeared with CNN’s Piers Morgan recently, he asserted that nobody needs an AR-15. The other day near Houston, a Texas teenager used an AR-15 to defend himself and his 12-year-old sister from a home invasion by shooting two burglars. Piers can choke on that.”

Gottlieb believes that public figures have no right to suggest gun bans for private citizens unless they first voluntarily give up their personal security.

“These anti-gun politicians were not elected to positions of royalty,” Gottlieb said. “They are citizens, with no more rights than any other citizen. They were elected to serve the public, not treat the public like serfs. If they want us to put our safety at risk, they should drop the pretense and give up their guns and guards before daring to suggest that anyone else do the same.”

Uncategorized

Democratic Senators Up For Re-election In 2014

January 11, 2013 by 4 Comments

The Instapundit mentioned this handicapping of those Senate Democrats at -risk up for re-election the other day. It was done by Moe Lane and offers his assessment of their re-election chances. The ranking leaves out four Democrats who are up for re-election – Coons, Durbin, Harkin, and Reed – and I’m assuming that is because they face no risk of losing.

Using Lane’s assessment as a starting point, I went back and added in each senator’s 2008 NRA-PVF rating and their current GOA rating. The chart with this is below:

State
Senator
Est. Risk
NRA (2008)
GOA (2012)
Alaska
Mark Begich
Serious Risk
AQ
D
Arkansas
Mark Pryor
Some Risk
C-
F
Colorado
Mark Udall
Some Risk
C
F
Louisiana
Mary Landrieu
Serious Risk
C
F
Massachusetts
John Kerry
Only if vacant
F
F-
Michigan
Carl Levin
Low Risk
F
F-
Minnesota
Al Franken
Serious Risk
F
F
Montana
Max Baucus
Some Risk
A+
D-
New Hampshire
Jeanne Shaheen
Some Risk
F
F
New Jersey
Frank Lautenberg
Only if vacant
F
F-
New Mexico
Tom Udall
Low Risk
C-
F
North Carolina
Kay Hagan
Serious Risk
F
F
Oregon
Jeff Merkley
Some Risk
F
F
South Dakota
Tim Johnson
Serious Risk
A
F
Virginia
Mark Warner
Low Risk
A
F
West Virginia
Jay Rockefeller
Low Risk
D
F

Of the five ranked as “Serious Risk”, two are A/AQ rated by the NRA, two are F rated by the NRA, and one is C rated by the NRA. While all of these senators should be the target of letters and calls regarding the various gun control proposals, the five at “serious risk” should be deluged with calls and letters from those of us who believe in the Second Amendment.

There is an old saying that goes a senator should be a statesman in his first two years, should be half politician and half statesman in the middle two years, and damn well better be all politician in the last two years. Let’s use that to our advantage in this fight for our gun rights.

UPDATE: Sen. Jay Rockefeller announced today that he will be retiring at the end of his term in 2014. That means a low risk seat in the chart above just became an open seat and one that can be picked up by a pro-gun rights candidate.

Uncategorized

Unnecesarily?

January 10, 2013 by 2 Comments

I got the first response today to my communication with my congressman and both senators regarding new gun control laws. It came by email from the office of Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC). The Armed Lutheran, another NC gun blogger, got a similar letter from Hagan’s office. You can read his analysis and response to letter here. Interestingly, my letter shown below mentions Feinstein’s gun control moves while his does not.

Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me regarding the horrific tragedy that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this issue, and my thoughts and prayers remain with the victims and families of this senseless and appalling act of violence.

In the wake of the shooting in Newtown, which left twenty-six innocent members of the community dead, many of them young children, Americans across the country are searching for answers on how we can prevent such tragic events from happening in the future. I believe we must do all we can to put laws and policies in place to prevent future tragedies such as this one. Doing that will require a common-sense debate on a comprehensive approach that examines all relevant issues, including access to firearms, mental healthcare, and the prevalence of violence in video games and media. Additionally, Senator Feinstein has stated her intent to introduce legislation concerning access to firearms at the start of the 113th Congress. To date, that legislation has not been introduced. As always, it is important that we not unnecessarily infringe on the legitimate Second Amendment rights of responsible gun owners.

Like you, I have always been an advocate for Second Amendment rights. My family, like the great state of North Carolina, has a long tradition of hunting and gun ownership, and I take great pride in that heritage. During my tenure in the North Carolina Senate I continuously supported the responsible use of firearms. As your United States Senator, I will always be committed to protecting these fundamental, constitutional rights.

Again, thank you for contacting my office. It is truly an honor to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate, and I hope you will not hesitate to contact me in the future should you have any further questions or concerns. If you would like to stay informed on my work in the Senate, you can sign up for my e-newsletter, follow me on Twitter at @SenatorHagan, or visit my Facebook page.

Sincerely,

Kay R. Hagan

I have to say that this letter doesn’t exactly fill me with the confidence that Hagan won’t bend to the will of the White House and Senate Democratic leaders. When I read something that says that it is important that “we not unnecessarily infringe on legitimate Second Amendment rights”, I want to know what the good Senator considers a necessary infringement of Second Amendment rights. Would mandated reduced capacity magazines meet her standard of being a necessary infringement? Likewise, would a ban on semi-automatic rifles with the wrong cosmetics be appropriate?

I am also wary of any politician who uses the phrase “tradition of hunting” when they are talking about Second Amendment rights. As we all know, the Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting or a sporting purpose and everything to do with an armed citizenry as a counterweight to a tyrannical government.

Hagan is up for re-election in 2014. She benefited from the Obama wave of 2008 as well as an inept campaign for re-election by Liddy Dole. She is rated as one of the Democratic senators who is in serious risk of losing her seat.

If you are a North Carolinian, write or call Hagan’s office on a regular basis. We need to keep pressure on her to do the right thing with regard to gun rights.

UPDATE: The Predator Intelligence blog is collecting and posting responses people from around the country have received to their letters. You can find it here. If you have a letter that you’ve received, send a copy to Jesse Smith at jsmith AT predatorintelligence DOT com. So far he has 25 of them posted including one from Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI).

Uncategorized

About What Was Expected

January 10, 2013 by

The NRA met with Vice-President Joe Biden today. From their statement below it is very evident that it was as much a waste of time and mere window-dressing for the Obama Administration as expected.

From the NRA-ILA release:


Fairfax, Va. – The National Rifle Association of America is made up of over 4 million moms and dads, daughters and sons, who are involved in the national conversation about how to prevent a tragedy like Newtown from ever happening again. We attended today’s White House meeting to discuss how to keep our children safe and were prepared to have a meaningful conversation about school safety, mental health issues, the marketing of violence to our kids and the collapse of federal prosecutions of violent criminals.

We were disappointed with how little this meeting had to do with keeping our children safe and how much it had to do with an agenda to attack the Second Amendment. While claiming that no policy proposals would be “prejudged,” this Task Force spent most of its time on proposed restrictions on lawful firearms owners – honest, taxpaying, hardworking Americans. It is unfortunate that this Administration continues to insist on pushing failed solutions to our nation’s most pressing problems. We will not allow law-abiding gun owners to be blamed for the acts of criminals and madmen. Instead, we will now take our commitment and meaningful contributions to members of congress of both parties who are interested in having an honest conversation about what works – and what does not.

Sebastian’s statement on this meeting is correct and on the Obama Administration’s plan for gun control.

 The “national conversation” was a farce from the beginning. This was
planned “under the radar” to be executed the first pretext they had
after the election. The only remaining option is to fight.

The haste with which Obama and Biden want to enact laws and regulations, the orchestrated propaganda campaign in the media, and the hate towards gun owners by the anti’s makes me feel like I’ve stepped into an scene from Matthew Bracken’s novel  Enemies Foreign and Domestic.

Uncategorized

CCRKBA Responds To Brady’s “Not About 2nd Amendment”

January 10, 2013 by

Dan Gross, the president of the Brady Campaign, said yesterday after Biden’s meeting with him and other gun prohibitionists that it wasn’t a debate about the Second Amendment. Alan Gottlieb of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms took great exception to that and issued this today.

Thursday, January 10th, 2013 .
.
BELLEVUE, WA – The Citizen’s Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today issued a bristling response to Brady Campaign President Dan Gross, who insisted as he left the White House meeting with Vice President Joe Biden that the current push for more gun control “is not a debate around the Second Amendment.”.
.
“The hell it’s not,” CCRKBA Chairman Alan M. Gottlieb declared. “The right to keep and bear arms is at the core of this anti-gun campaign, and Dan Gross knows it.”.
.
The Brady Campaign is one of several so-called “gun safety” organizations that have already met with Vice President Biden and his gun control task force. Gottlieb challenged that definition..
.
“The Brady Campaign and other such organizations are all about gun prohibition, not safety,” he said. “They’re not interested in safety when all they want is to disarm law-abiding Americans and taking the best means of self-defense away from crime victims while doing nothing to disarm criminals..
.
“The White House calling the gun prohibition lobby a ‘gun safety’ group is tantamount to suggesting that Ted Bundy was an advocate for battered women,” he said.

In comments to reporters, Gross insisted that “Words like ‘comprehensive’ and ‘broad’ don’t mean taking guns away from law-abiding citizens.”

“That statement is so demonstrably untrue it’s ridiculous that he expects anyone to believe it,” Gottlieb said. “Banning an entire class of firearms based primarily on cosmetics is taking them away from people. Imposing extremist regulations on the exercise of a civil right amounts to taking that right away and treating gun ownership like a privilege.

“Among gun prohibitionists,” he concluded, “the definition of safety is disarmament. Sure they’re not debating ‘around the Second Amendment,’ they’re trying to erode it and ultimately erase it from the Bill of Rights. We’re not going to let them get away with it.”

Uncategorized

Just An Observation On Obama’s Priorities

January 10, 2013 by 4 Comments

When Barack Obama came into office in January 2009, the most critical issue facing the United States was the economy. What did he place his greatest emphasis on? Getting Obamacare passed.

Barack Obama returns for his second term and will be re-inaugurated on January 20th. The most critical issue still facing the United States is the economy which is still sputtering. We have approximately 8% unemployment and a Dow that still has not regained its high point established in 2007. The issue seeming to get the most attention from the Obama Administration currently is gun control and not the economy.

It seems to me that when it comes to priorities and a choice between what is needed to be done for the country and what is on his ideological agenda, ideology always wins.

His momma would be proud of her son.

Uncategorized

Walmart And Guns

January 10, 2013 by 5 Comments

SayUncle had a post up yesterday evening about the meeting that representatives from Walmart will be having with Vice-President Joe Biden and his “gun violence” (sic) task force. He posted a reader suggestion to call Walmart’s corporate office. I am reposting it below.

Ok, everybody, don’t call stores, call corporate. Here’s the number: (479)273-4000

That gets you the home office. Tell them you want to express an opinion and they’ll immediately transfer you to another line where you will talk to a real person who will take your comment and record the call.

They are getting calls going both ways right now. They said that they have made not decisions going forward except to hear what Biden’s group says and then weigh that with the comments from their customers.

So start calling. Have your family and friends call. Overwhelm their switchboard with calls and we may keep them on our side.

SayUncle said to let them know that if they cave, you and your family will no longer shop there and that you’ll urge all your friends to do the same. I agree fullheartedly.

The one thing big business understands is money and sales. Walmart had dropped the gun department in many stores but brought it back due to the demand. The only reason that they started selling AR-15s in the first place was due to consumer demand.

As of June 2012, there were 67,369 Federal Firearms Licensees in the United States. This does not include those with a Curios and Relics FFL. Out of those 67,369 FFLs, 1,823 were held by the various Walmart stores around the country. This is about 2.7% of all FFLs. My point is that you have plenty of other options when it comes to purchasing guns and ammo. While Walmart is convenient, they are not the be all and end all in the gun market.

Walmart does not live and die by your gun and ammo purchases but they do live and die by your other purchases. If 90 million American gun owners suddenly said we aren’t going to do business with you anymore, they would be hurting. That is what they need to understand.

Uncategorized

Supporting Our Friends

January 9, 2013 by 1 Comment



Kurt Hofmann, the St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner, posted yesterday after the efforts of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (sic) to “punish” Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) for her bucking the gun control orthodoxy of the Obama Administration.


CSGV has also bought ads to run in Politico, Roll Call, and several North Dakota newspapers, exploiting the Sandy Hook Elementary atrocity and excoriating her for opposing so-called “assault weapons” bans (Connecticut has such a ban) and private sales bans (whether or not the killer’s weapons used in Newtown were bought without background checks, the buyer–the killer’s mother, and first victim–would by all accounts have passed even the vastly more invasive sort of checks demanded by Senator Schumer). These ads also urge readers to call Senator Heitkamp and chastise her for having the courage to stand up to her party.

Kurt urges readers to contact Sen. Heitkamp’s office and let her know we support her principled stand.

I agree and would encourage you to do so. The contact numbers, Facebook, and Twitter links are in Kurt’s post.

UPDATE: TPM covered CSGV’s campaign to intimidate Sen. Heitkamp. It was headlined, “Anti-Gun Group Declares Victory After Brushback Pitch At Heitkamp.” Heitkamp issued a statement in response to the ads and harassment.

Everitt said his group is “happy” with the statement, and that it proves the ads had an effect. “We liked it,” he told TPM. “We were happy to see more moderation there.”

Heitkamp’s office doesn’t see things the same way. “Senator Heitkamp’s position has not changed, nor shifted,” Heitkamp spokesperson Whitney Phillips told TPM.

Uncategorized

Ammunition Background Check Act

January 9, 2013 by 12 Comments

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) plans to introduce the Ammunition Background Check Act which would mandate NICS checks for all ammunition purchases. His legislation would reinstate the record keeping requirement for ammo sales, a report to ATF whenever anyone buys more than 1,000 rounds within a 5 day period, bans teflon-coated and incendiary bullets, and require reports of stolen ammunition.

According to CNN, Blumenthal is introducing this legislation “to keep faith with the people of Newtown and elsewhere who want action to combat gun violence.”

In his press release, Blumenthal says:

Reporting large purchases of ammunition can alert law enforcement and enable proactive intervention. Large scale purchases of ammunition are the fuel often driving mass murders.

Or, more likely, it is a sign that a person either got a good deal or is planning to take a training class that requires 1,000 or more rounds of ammo for the weekend.

In addition, the legislation bans Teflon-coated bullets and incendiary ammunition. The current federal ban on armor-piercing ammunition exempts certain kinds of Teflon-coated bullets, as well as incendiary ammunition designed to ignite or explode on contact. Both of these kinds of ammunition can defeat body armor, and pose a grave danger to law enforcement officials.

Where is Blumenthal getting his info? Incendiary is “designed to ignite or explode on contact”? That doesn’t meet any definition of incendiary bullets that I’ve ever heard. Blumenthal is confusing incendiary as in tracers with certain .50 BMG ammunition such as the Raufoss Mk. 211 which is high explosive, armor piercing, and incendiary.  As for defeating body armor, your average .30-30 Winchester deer hunting cartridge can defeat most forms worn by law enforcement officers.

Background checks have worked in many cases to keep firearms from falling into the wrong hands. According to the FBI, over the last decade, more than 100 million background checks have been run on firearm purchases. The vast majority of background checks took about 30 seconds. Approximately 700,000 people were blocked from purchasing guns – including felons, domestic abusers, and the mentally ill.

Two points on this part of his statement. First, if you dump ammo purchases into the NICS system without drastically increasing personnel, the wait times will defeat the whole rationale of “instant checks”. My second point is when have you ever heard of any prohibited purchasers ever being prosecuted for attempting to purchase a firearm.

Blumenthal’s bill has one other fatal flaw if he plans to track all ammo – reloading.